Fuse-block



(No Modemy J. L. KIMBALL 8; H. O. WIRT.

FUSE BLOGK.

Patented July 1 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. KIMBALL AND I'IERBERT O. VIRT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHSETTS.

FUSE-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,062, dated July 1, 1890. Application filed December 6, 1889. Serial No. 332,768. (No model.)

T all whom it 172,011/ conccrn:

Be it known that we, J AMES L. KIMBALL and HERBERT O. VIRT, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric (Jut-Outs, of which the following description, in connection with the aecompan yin g drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to electric cut-outs especially adapted to be used in incandescent electric lighting, and is an improvement upon the cut-out substantially such as shown and described in United States Patent No. 407 ,077, granted to us July 1G, 1889.

Our present invention is particularly applicable to main and branch cut-outs used in connection with a molding concealed or cleatwork secured to the walls of a building, and has for its object to improve the construction of the same, whereby a smaller, neater, and cheaper cut-out is obtained.

The particular features of our invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represent-s a branch cut-out embodying our invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the base with the cap removed Fig. 3, an under side view of the cap removed; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the cut-out shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a top or plan view of the base of a modified form of cut-out, and Fig. 6 an under side view of the cap em ployed with the base shown in Fig. 5.

Our improved cut-out is composed of a base A, which may be of Wood, porcelain, or other suitable insulation adapted to be lirmly secured to a wall or ceiling of a building by screws inserted through holes 2 3 in the said base, and a cap A' preferably of insulating material.

The base A, as shown in Fig. 2, is made oblong in shape, and is provided with end elevated portions a a', and a central bridge or elevated portion (L2, forming, with the raised end portion a., aslot or channel as, and with the raised end portion a' a channel or slot, which is subdivided into two parts (L4 a5 by a center piece af, which maybe an independent piece, or it may be integral with the base. The raisedA end portion co is provided with shallow longitudinal slots, in which are secured contact-pieces aso a, the upper faces of which are substantially flush with the surface of the said end portion. One of the contactpieces, as C050, is extended beyond the end of the base and has secured to it, as by screw as, one line-Wire a, while the contact-piece af' is extended down into and across the slot ag,

where it has secu red to it, as by screw a, the' other line-Wire e12. The raised end portion a' has secured to it, as by screws b, contactpieces b' D2, having' their inner ends bent down- Ward and extended acrossl the slots (1.4 (L5, and the said bent ends have secured to them, as by screws 123 194, line-wires b5 bfi, which, as shown, are carried out to the sides of the base and extended in the direction of the length of the base substantially at right angles to the linewires a a. The contact-pieces e50 a* and b' b2 have co-operating with them two sets of contact-arms c c' ld (Z', seeured to the inner side of the cap 02 on substantially diametrically-opposite sides thereof, as by screws 03, and having their ends extended beyond the opposite sides of the cap and each provided with 'a slot 04 to engage the shank of the screw 198. The contact-arms on opposite sides of the cap are electrically connected by fusible connections, preferably strips of wires C12 (13, which may very readily be replaced when burned out by removing the cap, the electrical connections 01' wire attached to the base remaining intact and undisturbed.

The cut-out shown in Figs; 1 and 2 is designed to be used as a branch cut-out, the wire (L9 a12 being the positive and negative wires of the main circuit, and the wires b bG being the positive and negative wires of the branch Circuit.

VVhen the cap A' is secured to the base, the circuit from the positive main line (L9 may be traced as follo'ws: Positive line af), contactpiece ao, contact (Z, f use C12, contact-arm c, contact-piece b', wire Zf through the lamp (not shown) to Wire DG, thence by contact-piece D2, contact-arm hc', fuse dcontact-arm d', and contact-piece 0,6 to negative wire a.

The cap A' (shown in Fig. 6) is designed to be used in connection with the base A (shown in Fig. 5) to form a main-line cut-out, the said base being provided with contact-blocks e e' IOO 82 83, fitted in sockets on opposite sides of the base and having' their onter faces preferably fiush with the sides of the base.

The contact-bloels are provided with holes,

5 into which the ends of the wires c4 85 are inserted and secured, as by screws c.

By securing' the fusible connections (12 (13 to the contact-arms attached to the cap I am enabled to make the base much smaller,thereby eeonomizing' in material, space, and cost of construction, besides obtaining a much neater cut-out.

It will be noticed that the fusible connections joining the contact-arms on the cap r 5 form part of the main or branch lines and afvided with fnse-wires, as shown in our patent referred to.

Ve have herein shown, foi` sake of distinction, the cap of the main cut-out made larger than the cap of the branch cut-out; but in practice they may, and preferably will, be

made of the same size, so that they may be interchangeable.

re claim- 1. In an electric cut-out, the combination,

with a base provided with two sets of contactpieces, of a removable cap having' two sets of contact-arms secured to it and each set extended beyond the said cap on its opposite sides, fusible connections joining the contactarms on the cap and forming part of main or branch lines, and means to secure the said contact-arms to the base outside the cap, substantially as described.

2. ln an electric cut-out, the combination, with a base provided with a slot (L3 and slots (L4 (L5, of a contact-piece a, extended outside the base, and to which a line-Wire may be attached, a contact-piece a", extended into the slot as, and to which a line-Wire may bc secured, contact-pieces b' bz, secured to the opposite end 01' side of the base and extended into the slots a'1 (L5, and to which branch wires may be secured, and a cap having' contactarms secured to it and extended outside the cap, and fusible connections joining' the contact-arms on the cap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

JAMES L. KIMBALL. HERBERT O. lVIRT Witnesses:

HOWARD F. EAToN, E. J. BENNETT. 

